Find out how popular the last name Essien is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Essien.

Essien, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Essien surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Essien in America

Essien is the 35812th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Essien surname appeared 627 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Essien.

We can also compare 2010 data for Essien to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Essien

The surname ESSIEN is of Nigerian origin, specifically from the Ibibio ethnic group in the south-eastern part of the country. It is believed to have originated during the 16th or 17th century when surnames became more widespread in the region. The name is thought to be derived from the Ibibio word "essien" which means "victorious one" or "conqueror".

Early recorded instances of the ESSIEN surname can be found in historical documents and records from the Akwa Ibom and Cross River states of Nigeria, where the Ibibio people are predominantly based. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Obong Essien Ekpeyong, a prominent Ibibio ruler and warrior who lived in the late 18th century, and Chief Essien Ukpanah, a respected leader and landowner from the early 19th century.

One of the most notable historical figures with the ESSIEN surname is Akanu Ibiam Essien, a Nigerian politician and statesman who served as the Governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria from 1957 to 1959. He was born in 1904 and played a significant role in the country's transition to independence from British colonial rule.

Another well-known individual with the ESSIEN surname is Michael Essien, a Ghanaian professional footballer who played for various clubs, including Chelsea and Real Madrid. He was born in 1982 and is considered one of the greatest African footballers of his generation.

In literature, the ESSIEN surname is featured in the works of Nigerian author Buchi Emecheta, whose novels often explore the experiences of the Ibibio people. One of her characters, Nna-Nndo Essien, appears in the novel "The Slave Girl" and is depicted as a respected elder in an Ibibio village.

Other notable individuals with the ESSIEN surname include Eno Essien, a Nigerian actress and filmmaker known for her work in the Nollywood film industry, and Anietie Essien, a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist who founded the Anietie Essien Foundation to support education and healthcare initiatives in Nigeria.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Essien

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Essien.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Essien was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Essien has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Essien was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Essien, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!